A New Beginning
by KissedByRainingStars
Summary: Well, this isn't really a story, it's an alternate ending. I fell in love with the Gemma/Kartik pairing, and I was terribly sad when Kartik was absorbed by the Tree of Souls. So, here's a new ending!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Sooo, yeah. Here it is. It's not very long, but it's less depressing than the original ending. And if you don't like it, instead of continuing to read it and point out all the shitty stuffz about it, USE YOUR BRAIN. Just stop reading it and find some other way to waste your time. Thank you.

**Starts from page 771.**

"Gemma, do it," Circe moans in agony.

I summon every bit of magic I've got, channeling it into the dagger. "I free the souls trapped here! You are released!"

I close my eyes and try to plunge the dagger into the tree. One of the branches knocks it from my hands. With a gasp, I watch it drop below. The tree shrieks and howls, calling the attention of every person on the battlefield.

"Her blood must fall!" the tree commands.

"Gemma!" Kartik calls, and I hear the alarm in his voice.

Amar comes for me. He spurs his horse forward, picking up speed. I scramble loose of the tree's grip and race for the dagger, just out of reach. For a moment, time slows. The roar of the battle dims to a hum. There is only the sound of hoofbeats matching the pounding throb of my blood in my ears. I see Kartik running after his brother with a fierce determination in his eyes. And then the world spins into time.

The roots trip me. I fall to the ground. Gasping, I crawl toward the dagger, but Amar is quicker.

"No!" Kartik shouts, and I close my eyes as I prepare for the stabbing. But is does not come.

I open my eyes to see Kartik guarding me from his brother. The murderous glint is there, his sword is raised.

But Amar cannot bring himself to stab his brother to get to me. And the only way he could get to me is through his brother.

"Do it! Now!" the tree shrieks, but Amar pays it no mind. Howling, the tree wraps its roots around my throat. They are too tight, and I cannot bring myself to scream. Amar makes a sound in his throat and points to me, and Kartik turns around and screams my name.

"I...release...these souls," I gasp as I plunge the dagger into the tree.

The tree lets loose a scream of pain, and the souls slip from its skin, pushing out of the branches like leaves of fire, and then they are gone.

I feel myself slipping. I cannot get air into my lungs. I hear Kartik shouting my name, then I am gone.

My eyes flutter open as the thick, welcoming mist kisses my feverish skin. I cannot see what lies ahead, but it is just as in my dreams. A mysterious yellow glow pierces the gray fog, coming towards me. The glow is coming from a lantern hanging from a long pole. The pole is attached to a barge bedecked in beautiful white lotus blossoms. The Three have come, and they've come for me. From behind me in the mist, I hear a familiar voice: _Gemma, Gemma_. I long to return to those perfect, warm lips, to return to him, but the women beckon me forward, and I go to meet them. Their movements are slow, as if they take great effort. I am slowing as well. My feet appear to sink into the mud, yet I get closer with each step.

I step onto the barge. They nod to me. The old one speaks.

"Your time has come. You have a choice to make."

She opens her hands. There rests a cluster of deep purple berries, much darker in hue that the ones Pippa ate. They sit cupped in her palm, as bright as jewels.

"Swallow the berries, and we will ferry you away to glory. Refuse them, and you must return to whatever awaits. Once you choose, there is no turning back."

For a moment, I hear my friends calling me, but they seem far away, as if I could run and run and never catch them.

"Gemma." I turn to see Circe behind me. She has lost the gray pallor she wore earlier. She looks just as she did the first day I saw her at Spence, when she was Miss Moore, the teacher I loved. "You did well," she says.

"You knew Eugenia had become the tree, didn't you?" I say.

"Yes," she answers.

"And you meant to save me?" I ask hopefully.

She gives me a rueful smile. "Have no illusions about me, Gemma. I meant to save myself first. To have the power second. You were a distant third."

"But I _was _third," I say.

"Yes," she says with a little laugh. "You were third."

"Thank you," I say. "You saved me."

"No. You saved yourself. I only helped a bit."

"What will become of you now?" I ask.

She doesn't answer.

"She will roam here in this mist for all time," the crone tells me.

The choice is before me in her palm. The cries of my friends, of Kartik, grow faint in the fog. I take one plump berry and place it on my tongue, tasting it. It is not tart. Quite the contrary. There is only a pleasant sweetness and then nothing. It is the taste of forgetting. Of sleep and dreams with no waking. Never to long or yearn, to struggle or hurt or love or desire ever again. And I understand that this is what it truly means to lose your soul.

My mouth goes numb with sweetness. The berry sits on my tongue.

Felicity carrying the goldenrod in her arms. Ann's voice, strong and sure. Gorgon marching through the battlefield.

I have only to swallow the berry and it is done. That is all. Swallow the berry and with it all struggle, all care, all hope. How easy it would be to do.

Kartik. I left him at the tree. The way his lips felt on mine. The fire that coursed through my veins whenever I was with him.

So very, very easy...

Kartik.

With a tremendous effort, I spit the berry from my mouth, gagging as I try to rid my tongue of the sugary numbness. My body aches as if I have pushed a heavy rock uphill forever, but now I am rid of it.

"I'm sorry. I cannot go with you. Not now. But I am to have a request, am I not?"

"If you wish it," the crone says.

"I do. I should like to offer my place to another," I say, looking towards Circe.

"You wish to give it to me?" she says.

"You saved my life. That must count for something," I say.

"You know I abhor self-sacrifice," she replies.

"I know, but I'll not have you wandering in the mists. Too dangerous."

She smiles at me. "You've done well, indeed, Gemma." She turns to the Three. "I accept."

Circe steps onto the barge.

The crone nods to me. "You have made your choice. There is no turning back now. Whatever shall happen you must accept."

"Yes, I know."

"Then we wish you luck. We will not meet again."

I step onto the muddy, mist-shrouded shore as the maiden pushes the pole against the bottom of the river and drifts off into the fog and Circe retreats into the shadows. I move slowly till my legs remember how to walk quickly, and then I am running, running with all my strength, pushing through the mist with greedy, determined steps until it feels as if I am flying. I feel the hardness of the branches at my back, the whoosh of breath flowing into my lungs again. A figure is bending over me.

I'm back in the Winterlands.

"Kartik. Kartik!" My voice is raw and weak. What little magic I have left is ebbing.

"Gemma!" I realize he's the figure bending over me. His eyes are wide. "There is something wrong with the tree. We must move!"

The tree starts to sway. I start to run, but I trip on one of the roots. I land hard and cough. Some blood comes out and lands on the ground.

"Get back!" Gorgon calls. Not soon enough.

Kartik and Amar are the only ones still in reach of the tree. The magic begins to flow from the tree into the two brothers.

"Kartik!" I screech. I do not know what to do. I begin to run to him, but he holds up his hand to stop me. "I know where my destiny lies now, Gemma," he says softly.

"No." Amar's voice is hard. "I will not let you do this, brother. You have a life to live," he tells him, less harsh. "I am doomed to live here anyway."

Tears form in Kartik's eyes. "But, Amar, you told me to follow my heart. I did, and it led me here, and for the first time, I feel like I belong."

But Amar shakes his head. "You belong wherever the priestess is. If she were not here, you would feel out of place." The tree roots begin to snake up Amar's legs instead of Kartik's. "Do not abandon her. She needs you as much as you need her. Now go. Be with the priestess."

Before Kartik can utter another word, the magic begins to leave him and enter Amar. With a sad smile, Amar says, "Goodbye, Kartik. Remember me," as the tree roots consume him. Kartik falls in the roots, staring at the tree in disbelief.

"Kartik," I whisper, "there was nothing you could have done."

I place my hand gently on his shoulder, and he puts his hand on mine, stroking it with his thumb. "I know," he sighs. He stands up and wraps his arm around my waist. He gives me a sad smile before he kisses me. "Let's go home."

"Wait. There's something I must do first."

Placing my hands on the frozen earth, I call out, "I give this magic back to the realms and the Winterlands, too, that it may be shared equally among the tribes."

The magic rushes from me into the ground. I feel it spread throughout the land, feel its pulse deep with in the ground. "Now we can go home."

We file through the door onto the lawns of Spence. I lead the way to the chapel, Kartik at my side. I wonder how different thing would have been if it had been Kartik absorbed into the tree. A life without Kartik. I can't wrap my mind around it.

We open the doors, and the girls inside don't stop shrieking until they see who it is. Then they return to sobbing and wailing. They have been scarred, forced to see terrible things that will haunt them forever. And yet, I feel no pity.

"You've all returned safely," Mrs. Nightwing sighs. "But wait, where is Miss McCleethy? Sahirah?"

"I'm sorry," I murmur, placing my hand comfortingly on her shoulder. She sits down on the nearest pew, too shocked to shed a tear.

I look down to see Brigid holding Mother Elena's body in her arms. "Winterland creatures?" I ask quietly.

Brigid shakes her head. "Her heart."

"Yes, well, at least the demons didn't claim her," Mrs. Nightwing sniffs.

Yes, there is something to be grateful for.

"Gemma," my headmistress begins. "These girls have seen things that aren't right. They don't deserve this, and I don't think they can bear it. Please. Use what little magic you have left to make them forget this."

I look around at the tear-streaked faces of the Spence students. I could do it. Very easily. But there was no one to erase my memory. No one to make me forget all the horrors I've seen. I shake my head as I turn and head for the door.

"Why should I?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hehehe, I just found a font on OpenOffice called Kartika...I made all the star-thingies that font. I would have used it for the entire story, but it's really tiny, so...yeah. Hope you like it!**

I do it anyway. While everyone is sleeping, I go into their rooms and place my hand on their foreheads. Their creased brows slowly relax as they forget the things they'd seen tonight. When I enter Brigid's room, she's awake. Smiling slightly, she says, "That's awl righ', luv. I don' care to forget, if it's all the same." The rowan leaves have disappeared from her windowsill.

I make my way back to my room. Ann decided to stay with Felicity for the remainder of her stay here, to give me time alone with Kartik. I enter the room to find him on the bed. He sits on the edge, his face in his hands. His sobs are so quiet I almost don't hear them at first. Concerned, I hurry over to him and sit down beside him. I place his head against the hollow of my throat and rocked him slowly back and forth.

"I could have saved him," he sobs, his breath warm on my throat. "He didn't have to become the tree."

"Kartik," I say, forcing back tears of my own. "If you had been the one who was taken by the tree, I don't know what I would have done. I never felt like I belonged anywhere, either. But when I'm with you, it's as if I finally found it. I feel safe, wanted."

I take his face and force him to look me in the eyes. I wipe away his tears with my thumbs. I repeat the words he said to when we went to retrieve my father from the opium den. "_Meraa mitra yahaan aaiye_."

He smiles through his tears. "Your Hindi could use some work."

I laugh quietly as I say, "_I _could use some work, but that's what makes us who we are."

Lying back, Kartik cradles me against his side. I rest my head upon his chest. We lay quietly for a while, Kartik running his finger through my hair. He kisses my forehead, my nose, my mouth. I sigh with pleasure as his lips leave a warm line from my jaw to my shoulder.

"Marry me," ha gasps.

"Wh- what?" I splutter. His question brought me out of my fantasies.

Kartik rolled over, propping himself on his elbow while he leaned over me. He caressed my face as he whispered, "Marry me. We could go to India, and get a house there, where we-"

"No," I interrupt. Hurt swims in his eyes, so I correct myself quickly. "No, no, I do want to get married, its just..."

"Just what?"

"I...want to go live in America," I finish, barely audible. I watch my hands play with Kartik's shirt collar as I continue. "We could find a little apartment in New York, and I could go to a university there." The last bit comes out in a rush.

Kartik is silent. For a moment, I think he's going to tell me I'm a silly girl, and I shouldn't speak such nonsense. Then I feel his hand on my chin. He gently lifts my face to his, and he kisses me sweetly on the lips. "Wherever you're happy, I'm happy, Gemma," he murmurs, his breath warm on my ear. I snuggle closer to him and fall asleep while he runs his knuckles soothingly along my spine.

I wake to the absence of Kartik's warmth. He bends down to kiss my forehead before sneaking out the window. I look around my room as I think of last night. How am I going to tell my bloody family about my decision? Grandmama will die of shock, I'm sure. Tom will shun me forever more, and Father...

I decide to tell everyone that I am going to go to India with Father. He planned to go there before he...well, he had planned to go, so it will be the perfect opportunity to marry Kartik. Nobody will suspect a thing. Well, except Father, but I don't think he'll react nearly as horribly as Grandmama and Tom would. Then we could stay with Father until... Then we'd be off to America.

Felicity suddenly sweeps into the room, followed by Ann. When she sees me, she waggles her eyebrows. "So, how was your night?" Ann wears the same eager expression to know as Felicity. I'm hit with the sudden realization of what _did _occur last night.

"I got engaged," I whisper excitedly, and I close my door before skipping circles around the room. "I got engaged, I got engaged, I got engaged!" I squeal with delight.

"Oh, Gemma, that's wonderful!" Felicity cries, throwing her arm around my neck. Ann wraps her arms around my waist, and we all twirl in a circle at the good news.

"Where will you be married?" Felicity giggles.

"India. Then after that we'll be off to America."

A fist pounds the door. "Come now, girls, breakfast!" Brigid calls.

Giggling, we make our way down to breakfast.

It is time for the parting of ways. The carriage has come to take Ann away to the beginning of her acting career. Armed with Felicity's garnet earbobs, my ivory elephant from India, and plenty of handkerchiefs, Ann is ready to take on the world.

"We shall read of your admirers in the paper," Felicity says.

"I'm only one of the merry maidens," Ann reminds us. "There are other girls."

"Yes, well, we all must start somewhere," Mrs. Nightwing tuts.

"How did your cousins take the news about you not coming back?" I inquire.

"They were furious," Ann giggles. "But they shall find another governess, I'm sure."

"Yes, of course they will," Felicity and I agree.

Felicity, teary-eyed, rushes over to give Ann a hug. I am not quite as quick as Felicity, but Ann appreciates it all the same. We wave as the carriage pulls away, and we keep waving until it is out of sight. Felicity dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief, and I take her hand to comfort her, but not before smiling at the gorgeous man in the trees. He is going to accompany me to the train station, then he'll meet up with me at Grandmama's London home. Maybe he can make my grandmother bearable.

Today is the day. I go into the dress shop for some last minute fittings. I spy Kartik watching from the window, and the look of awe on his face is enough to make me smile and forget about my fears, if only for a few moments. Even Mrs. Jones is feeling the excitement of today's events. She looks at me instead of through me when she says, "You look lovely today, Miss Doyle."

I pull my gloves on and take a peak in my mirror. I don't recognize the woman looking back at me. She is tall, with beautiful coppery curls and freckled skin. She wears a stunning white gown that makes her appear as if she's glowing.

"I am pretty," I whisper to my mirror.

A figure comes up behind me and murmurs in my ear, "No. You are beautiful."

I turn around and kiss him, letting my tongue make small explorations into his mouth, before I make my way downstairs. My father looks happier than I had seen him in a long time. "Who is this woman and what has she done with my little girl?" he jokes, and I smile as I embrace him. Then we all pile into the carriage and head out to present me to the queen.

The jitters are returning. I make an attempt at deep breaths, but it's not working. All my fears are returning. What if I ruin my curtsy? What if I fall into the queen? Or maybe I'll swoon before I even make it to the door. A girl stumbles as she enters the room. I recognize her: Elizabeth Poole. This almost makes me feel better. Almost.

Finally, I have reached the door. My heart is pounding so loudly I am sure everyone can hear it. I enter with my father as gracefully as I can. Like a souffle, I sink into my curtsy for the queen. She gives me a firm tap on the shoulder, telling me to rise. I walk over to where the other girls, now women, stand. I did it. I made my debut before the queen. I gave her a perfect curtsy. I didn't make a fool of myself. I made it through, and it is all I can do to prevent myself from breaking out in a ridiculous grin and whooping with joy.

The ball is beautiful, but I do not care to dance. I take my father's arm and whisper in his ear, "I must speak with you."

I lead him into the library. He sits in an overstuffed arm chair, where he takes out the pipe I gave him for Christmas.

"Now, what is it you wanted to tell me, Gemma, dear?" he inquires.

I take a deep breath. "Before I tell you, you must promise to hear me out."

His eyes grow slightly wary. "Yes, of course I will."

"Very well." Another deep breath. "I do not wish to continue my season." He remains silent, so I continue. "I am tired of balls and fancy dresses and expectations. I want to go back to India with you," I say, stopping to see his reaction.

"Is there any particular reason you want to go back?" he asks, his eyes bearing deep into mine. "I noticed the way you looked at that Indian carriage driver I hired."

"Well..." I began. "That Indian boy, Kartik, was with a band of Gypsies living on Spence's grounds. He asked for the position as our carriage driver so he could protect me here as well as at Spence."

"Protect you from what?"

_Visions and horrible beasts that wanted to use me as a sacrifice. Oh, and from the thing that killed Mother._ "Men who, uh, wanted to, um, take away my, er, virtue," I reply awkwardly. "We met each other in India and he said he wanted to always be there for me. He helped me get through the loss of Mother," I finish quietly, and I realize that my speech was not entirely made up. Kartik _had _helped me get through my loss, in a sense. And we did meet in India.

Father is silent. Then he asks, "Do you two plan on living in India?"

I'm stunned. "Does this mean you are giving your consent?"

"Gemma, if you are anything like your mother, you would marry him even without my consent," he says, chuckling quietly. "You do look so much like her."

"I know," I say, and for once, I don't flinch. After a pause, I tell him, "After we get married, we were going to go live in America. In New York City. I could go to university there and we could live together without anyone knowing I've scandalized Grandmama and Tom."

That makes Father laugh. "Oh, Gemma, you are a clever one, my angel," he sighs. "Though she will be furious, I will tell your Grandmama about your choice. Not about the marriage, but of you wanting to discontinue your season." He looks at me. "Are you sure this is what you want to do? You have seen everything you want to see?"

"All that and more."

"And you're sure this Kartik is the right man for you?"

"Most definitely."

"Very well. If you're positive it's the right choice for you, then I am happy."

Blinking back tears, I smile at him. "Thank you, Father." I hurry to embrace him. He pats me on the back. I back away to see he has tears in his eyes, as well. "You have grown into a fine young lady," he says quietly. "Now, would you care to dance with me?"

"With pleasure." I take his arm and he leads me back to the ballroom. I smile at him as he twirls me around the floor. When we are done, I am flushed and warm, but I am happy.

Felicity spots me and hurries over to talk to me. "Oh, Gemma this is wonderful! I will have my inheritance soon, and I can finally go live in Paris," she sighs, more content than I'd ever seen her. "I think I shall become an artist. Or better yet, an artist's model!" She relishes how dirty that sounds. She lowers her voice as she says, "I've heard there are others there like my. Perhaps I _will _love again."

I smile. "I'm very happy for you, Felicity Worthington."

She gives me a devilish grin. "And how are you going to tell your family of your wedding?"

"I've told Father, and he agreed to tell Grandmama that I will be discontinuing my season and I will go to India with him. The wedding will be our secret, then after that we'll be off the New York." And I feel more content than I ever had in my life.


	3. Chapter 3

Tom accompanies Father and me to the HMS _Victoria. _It is a large ship, and I remember the last time I had been on one. _Maybe this time will be better_ I tell myself, but I doubt it. Kartik has already stowed away on the boat, and I am eager to see him again. Father was right, and Grandmama was furious. Tom assured her that I would have a monthly allowance so I would not end up penniless on the streets, and this calmed her a bit.

The foghorn blows, announcing a rapidly approaching departure. Father turns to Tom.

"Goodbye, Tom. I will see you at Christmas."

"Yes, Christmas," Tom replies glumly.

I give Tom a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Goodbye, brother. Good luck finding that Mrs. Tomas Doyle."

Tom sniffs. "Goodbye, Gemma. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll miss you."

"Come visit me in America sometime. I'll write you as soon as I arrive to tell you how it is."

"I'll look forward to that letter, then," Tom says, and he sounds sincere.

It is time for us to board. I give Tom one last quick hug before helping my father board the ship.

"Did that Kartik boy make it onto the ship?" Father asks.

"Yes," I reply, and I know I'm right. Kartik was too well trained by the Rakshana to have not made it.

"Good," Father says, and I can't tell if he was sincere or disappointed.

I lead Father to our quarters, followed by the luggage boy. I turn to see the luggage boy is Kartik. My heart flutters, and I smile at him as I help Father onto one of the beds. "I think I'll rest here for a while. You go explore the ship and find Kartik."

I realize that he didn't recognize him, so I give him a peck on the cheek before following Kartik out of the room. Taking my hand, he leads me to the deck, where we watch as the ship sets sail. The sea looks beautiful. The sunlight bounces off the waves, making the water glitter and shine. For a moment, I think I glimpse a water nymph at the bow of the ship, but when I look again, it is only the waves. I shake my head to clear it. Now is not the time for seeing things. Now is the time for enjoying life and seeing new things. Now is the time to forget about the realms, if only for a moment.

"Do you remember the first time we met in England, in the chapel?" I ask Kartik as I hunch over a pail.

"Yes, of course I do," he says softly, holding my hair away from my face.

"You told me you could do without the sea?"

"Yes."

"Well, I could do without the bloody sea right now, too," I groan as a fresh wave of nausea hits me.

"I know," he says sympathetically as he kisses my forehead. I'm about to give him a smile that will come out a grimace when the contents of my stomach force themselves out of my mouth and into the pail.

Land. It is a sight for very sore eyes. My throat is raw from being sick so much, but I am alive. Kartik holds my hand as we descend onto the sands of India. Oh, how I have missed this place! The sun is bright and welcoming, as soft and warm as Kartik's lips on my skin.

"Memsahib!"

I look down to see our old housekeeper, Sarita, waving at me. Her skin is as leathery and brown as I remember. I let go of Kartik's hand and hurry over to give Sarita a hug. Tears fall on her cheeks as she steps back to look at me.

"Oh, memsahib, you have grown so much!" she cries. "You are a beautiful woman now."

I smile, wiping away tears of my own. "I missed you so much. How have things been here?"

"Oh, terribly lonely," Sarita sighs. "I have not been able to find work. I had only your home to look after, but no one to live in it."

"Well, we're home now," I say as Kartik comes up behind me with the luggage, my father in tow. Father spots Sarita and gives her a wide grin. "Ah, Sarita! How good it is to see you again."

Father trails behind with Sarita, while I lead the way with Kartik. He looks around at all the street vendors and carts as if he remembers them from a dream. His eyes lock with mine, and he gives me a dazzling smile. "It feels good to be home," he says softly.

"I know what you mean," I sigh as I spot the organ-grinder and his monkey. My face breaks out into a grin as I recognize things from my childhood. I remember how I had acted on my 16th birthday and find it nearly impossible to believe I had hated it so much. Now everything looks beautiful and familiar, and the familiarity is what I had missed the most. I tired of strange, new things.

Kartik sighs as he takes my hand. "I remember this place well."

Sarita suddenly screams something in Hindi at Kartik. She runs up and has a heated argument with him. She turns to me. "Is this true?"

"Is what true?" I ask, bewildered.

"Is this man your betrothed?"

I nod. "He is."

Sarita falls into step behind us again, grumbling something in Hindi. I move closer to Kartik. "What's she saying?" I whisper.

"She believes that I tricked you into believing you loved me so I could ruin your virtue," he whispers back. I blush and intertwine my fingers with his again. "While you are very captivating, I don't believe I'm in a trance," I say flirtatiously.

"Mmm, I think I might be," he jokes as he kisses the top of my head.

The wedding is decided. It will be an English-type wedding with Hindi decorations. We find a ship captain who agrees to marry us, and Sarita makes me a beautiful dark purple sari, just as I had asked. While I'm still not sure if Father approves entirely, he puts on a happy expression for Kartik whenever he's over. My father and Sarita believe that Kartik is staying in a hut at the edge of our property, and he is, though he hasn't spent a single night in it. Every night he comes into my room and keeps me warm during the cold nights.

I appreciate his presence, for he's always there when I wake up from a nightmare. They've come more and more frequently since we went to the Winterlands to defeat the Tree of Souls. Some nights I'll see Kartik in his brother's place on the horse, staring at me with those empty eyes, others I am swallowed up by the Tree of Souls. One night I saw Pippa, her eyes blue-white framed in a thin circle of black, her skin gray and sickly, with those pointed teeth that were too small for her mouth. No matter what the nightmare is, Kartik is always there to hold me and tell me I am alright, that he is here and he will never leave me. I hold him closer to me and fall back asleep, dreaming only of the vision we shared in the Cave of Sighs, and I wonder if he dreams it, too.

The days leading up to our wedding begin to go faster. We decide to make it a private wedding, held in our backyard. Sarita takes us out to the marketplace to look for decorations. We agree on some paper lanterns to hang in the trees, and beautiful lilies to place on the tables: one for my family and one for the servants. The banquet is decided, and we pick out some strings of beads to hang everywhere while we're at it. It's time to pick up Kartik's suit.

Father goes with him, so I may not see it until I walk up our makeshift isle to the makeshift altar. Sarita does some last minute touch-ups to the sari. While she does that, another maid paints my skin with beautiful henna markings. They are exactly like the ones I bore in the dream I shared with Kartik in the Cave of Sighs. This wedding was going to be perfect, I could feel it deep within me.

The time has finally arrived. Father walks up to me, tears in his eyes.

"My beautiful Gemma," he says thickly. "I am so very proud to have you for a daughter."

"And I am so very proud to have you for a father," I choke out, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Tears shed, Father takes my arm and leads me through the doors to the garden. It's breathtaking. The garden is filled with beautiful paper lanterns that cast a soft glow on everything. A path of orange flower petals leads up to our makeshift altar, where Sarita stands next to the captain, and in front of him stands...

One man should not have the right to look so dashing. Kartik stands elegantly in front of the altar, wearing the same black clothes from the Cave of Sighs. The red dot on his brow is prominent against his dark skin. He peaks at me through those long, black, lashes, and the way he looks at me lets me know that I am beautiful, I am wanted, and I am loved.

Father leads me up the aisle. Kartik takes my hands as my father lets go. I look up at him, and tears of joy return to my eyes. This aggravating, clever, resourceful, gorgeous man is about to become mine. I go through the wedding in a trance. I recite my vows and say I do, but all I want is for the captain to say...

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And those lips belong to me. The kiss we share warms my lips in the best way possible. The fire that courses through my veins blazes until I'm filled with his flame. It's over all too soon. But we are joined in marriage. This day went perfectly.

All through the meal, Kartik's hand massages my knee, slowly making its way up my thigh.

"So, do you plan to have any children?" Father asks, taking a sip of wine.

Kartik has almost reached between my legs. I grab his hand and try to slow my thundering heart . "Children," I say, my voice cracking. Getting myself together, I answer, "Well, we haven't really discussed children, Father."

Sarita sits at the family table, for she was practically my second mother. From her spot in between Father and Kartik, she says, "Mr. Doyle, they are still young. They have a while to think about children."

"Yes, quite right, Sarita," Father replies as he takes a bite of cobra.

Kartik takes my hand and leads me to the hut my father had given him. He closes the door and leads me farther into the hut. My heart is pounding faster than I think is humanly possible. As soon as the door is closed, his lips are all over me. He leaves a trail of kisses down my spine as he eases the sari off my body. I kiss the hollow in his throat all the way up to his ear as I unbutton his shirt. He picks me up and places me on the bed. His body is warm against mine.

"Gemma," he half growls, half sighs.

We are as one. We fit together perfectly.

Like we were meant to be.

The ship takes off a week after the wedding. I'm not looking forward to the ride there, but I'm anxious to begin my new life with Kartik. Sarita is all tears for me and all threat for Kartik. Father gives me a hug and a kiss, and even shakes Kartik's hand. "You take good care of my Gemma," he orders. "She will get nothing but the best I can give," Kartik assures him.

We wave goodbye as the ship starts along its course. There is a bucket ready in the room for when I will need it (there's no question that I won't) and a present for Amar. After the sun sets, we make our way back to the room, where I produce the door of light. Kartik grabs the present before we enter a world that doesn't look at all how I remember it. It's not beautiful, but it's not terrifying. It's...healing. The trees are starting to grow leaves once again, and the grass is turning a little greener. But we did not come to sight-see.

The wall of bones bordering the Winterlands looks less menacing than it did before. The gate still asks Kartik the questions for his passage. His greatest want is to never lose me, and his greatest fear is he'll never see his brother again. Taking hold of Kartik's hand, I lead the way to the Tree of Souls. It looks smaller than it did during the battle. Kartik walks up to the tree and begins to talk to it quietly in Hindi. I do not ask him what he's saying; its his private conversation between him and his brother. He takes out the gift: a large clay pot filled with the desert sand of India. Kartik sprinkles the sand around the tree before leaving the beautifully decorated within the roots.

On our way back, we meet little Wendy. She comes up and motions to the ground near us.

"What do you see?" she asks.

I notice the little green shoots growing in the white soil. "Did you plant these, Wendy?"

She nods. "I put my hand in the soil, thought about the trees, and there they were!"

It's a start to a wonderful new realm.

The trip to New York isn't quite as bad as the trip to India. The bucket is still necessary, but I am not as dependent upon it as I had been. Kartik takes me to the main deck. A copper-clad lady with a torch in one hand and a book in the other greets us. I realize now that this is the start of a new life. I rub my soon-to-be-swollen belly as I look at the smoke shrouded city. Kartik wraps his arms around me and holds me as we watch the ship anchor in the harbor.

Yes, I think I'm quite ready for a new beginning.


End file.
